"I don't want kissing to be one more thing that never happened."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to go the rest of my life without kissing you again."

Aww! The sweetness, the swoon, and the saltiness in the quite hilarious MM romantic comedy 10 Things That Never Happened by premier MM RomCom author Alexis Hall will leave you with a smile on your lips and in your heart.

Sam (named after everyone's favorite Hobbit) is not happy that he's been called to London for a meeting with the owner of the bed and bath retail giant, "Splashes and Snuggles." As a manager of one of these stores Sam knows their sales are down.

Jonathan is what Sam expected him from obnoxious to focused only on the bottom line. Though handsome wasn't on his bingo card for this rich grump. When Sam accidentally falls into a store's display, Jonathan mistakes his confusion for amnesia. Sam runs with it. After all, you can't fire an amnesia victim from a job he doesn't remember.

It's a bit out there but with great humor, an insistent cat named Gollum (the love for J.R.R. Tolkien is real), and Jonathan's chaotic family (all the hugs go to feisty Nana Pauline) Sam and Jonathan slowly, very slowly, realize that being together is better than the solitary lives they've been determined to live.

At first the English accents were hard to understand but a slower speed helped me appreciate the comedic timing of voice actor Will Watt. Also, his vulnerable Jonathan was perfection. As the relationship between Sam and Jonathan progressed I knew the fallout from Sam's lie was coming but I also knew this writer would bring the heartfelt romantic gesture to this love story.

Of all the things that could never happen not listening to this grumpy/sunshine RomCom shouldn't be one of them.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy Pub Day to this lovely queer romance. I love reading Alexis Hall's books. They have both humor and heart and they make us care about not only the main protagonists, but all of the funny, eccentric side characters. Such is the case of this audiobook: Ten Things That Never Happened.

This is a classic grumpy/sunshine trope done so very well. In the beginning it was hard to believe that Sam, an upbeat Bath store manager and Jonathan his ill-tempered boss could be a love match, but Alexis Hall slowly but surely convinced me otherwise. Sam’s easy going personality and fake amnesia shenanigans helped him burrow a place in both Jonathan's house and heart and break down his cantankerous shell.

I adored Jonathan's crazy, smothering family and how much love they had for him and Sam. We grew to understand Jonathan more as a person because of them. They deeply humanized him, and made us understand his career-focused nature

Will Watt did a wonderful job narrating all of the voices both male and female and made this audiobook an amazing listen.

Ten Things That Never Happened is a sweet, funny, slow-burn queer romance. It has great character development an insight and two very different protagonists, who you root for their happily ever after. It is another highly enjoyable listen from Alexis Hall.

This review is for the Audiobook.

Read by Will Watt, Published by Dreamscape Media

100% enjoyable rom com. What else is there to say?

Hall does a fantastic job balancing real troubles and vulnerabilities with light hearted humor and wit. His characters are always richly nuanced and complicated, fighting their inner wars as well as external ones. Jonathan is no exception. He is easily passed off as a grumpy rich jerk, but by the end Hall has somehow made you want to root for his transformation into a ... more soft hearted jerk? ;)

Sam is easily your best friend, your mate, the too nice boss that you go to with you problems. I love the conversations he has with his staff and it's easy to see how these interactions show the bonds between them while also giving us a glimpse into his inner workings.

Hall has created a story solely his own, blending all of the best things about romantic comedies flawlessly. It was such a pleasure to listen to this audiobook and disappear into Sam and Jonathan's complicated world. I was never so happy to commute to work.

Will Watt does a great job as a narrator. I really enjoyed listening to Sam's voice and honestly, I can't imagine anyone else narrating Sam the same way. The nuances and emotion he puts into the reading is authentic and it really brings Sam and Jonathan to life. There are a few different voices he does, mostly for the family which are fun and entertaining. Great narrator!

Overall, it's exactly what I needed to read right now. Charmingly flawed characters based in real life, a solid supporting cast and lots of fluttering hearts. One of my favorites this year.

Love the characters in this book! Primary and secondary characters are all well developed and quirkiness abounds. While the premise that leads to the two main characters having to spend so much time together is a bit far fetched, I was still fully invested in finding out if and how they got their happily ever after.

Sam Becker, is about to get fired from his job, but is in an accident which results in a head injury, and he takes to opportunity to fake amnesia. Jonathan, Sam’s boss, takes Sam into his home while he is recovering. What do you think happened next? Yes, Sam falls for Jonathan. I struggled enjoying parts of this book. I didn’t connect with Sam which made it difficult to like this story and I didn’t see the chemistry between Sam and Jonathan. Both Sam and Jonathan seemed very immature. There was some good banter and some of their exchanges were humorous, but that doesn’t make an entire story. I feel that the not really amnesia came to light too late in the story. Usually I like the troupe of forced proximity, and I was excited to read and LGBTQ book, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Alexis Hall for the Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was hesitant to read another Alexis Hall book, I read A Lady for a Duke recently and really disliked it. I thought it would only be fair though to give a more modern style novel a try and I am so glad I did.

This was absolutely adorable and heartwarming. I loved Sam and Jonathan together, they had such good banter and chemistry. They brought out the best in each other and I loved watching these two men grow as people, and working through their family issues together.

The audio narration was also amazing, it really brought the story to life.

I am adding the rest of Alexis Hall books to my TBR now because this book brought me so much joy.

This book was so much fun. I laughed out loud so many times while listening. I mean the plot is a little bit silly, but I was here for it! I absolutely LOVED the moment when Sam had to fake amnesia. This creates so much great conflict for much of the book. I couldn't wait to find out how Sam would deal with Jonathan's family and the housekeeper. I loved that Jonathan loved Sam's cat. Jonathan was such a jerk. He's just a complicated character and Sam is just lovable. It was definitely an opposites attract type of situation. This book was well written and kept me listening and laughing until the end. There was fantastic character development. The narrator did a great job reading this book. Fun book. Great ride.

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley @sourcebookscasa for this wonderful romance. I recommend this anyone that loves:
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Fake Dating
- Forced Proximity
- Great banter

Sam is a perfect mc who is a little chaotic and wants to protects his staff from being laid off. Jonathan is the grumpy owner who is worried about the bottom line. I love their interactions and seeing their relationship develop. The misfit of employees and Jonathan's family added so much fun to the story too. The narrator really brought out the fun English wit in the story.

Alexis Hall killed it again. Yet another book filled with perfect dialogue and banter, hilarious side characters that I became way too invested in, and imperfectly lovable heroes.

I received an audio advanced copy narrated by Will Watt and HOLY COW IS HE AMAZING! Seriously, he does the best voices from Sam’s Northern dialect to Jonathan’s stern brunch daddy, to every family member and friend. He is seriously talented and I can’t wait to listen to more books narrated by him. I definitely think Watt’s voice helped solidify each personality and his dialects leant themselves to Hall’s comedic timing making what I’m sure was already an excellent book, even more alive. And when Hall is on, he’s on. I feel like most of his books are 5 ⭐️ reads for me and this is yet another that so effortlessly pulled me into the world of Sam(wise), manager of a bed and bath branch store owned by the “dickish” Jonathan Forest.

From the get-go the antics of the coworkers pulled me in and the immersive storytelling made listening a delight. In an Alexis Hall book, everyone is imperfect and a bit quirky much like a Wes Anderson film, and I adored the detail and care out into each character from the housekeeper that’s also an MD and thinks Jonathan might be a serial killer, to Brian, the weakest link at the bath chain that is completely inadequate at his job, to Granny Forest who has a boyfriend in assisted living and knows how to get what she wants. The novel opens with Sam getting called down to London for a scolding from Jonathan in regards to his store managing. Tensions mount and Sam is about to be fired, but as luck would have it, he ends up with an accidental concussion where faking amnesia seems the quickest way to get out of his troubles. But one lie begets another and pretty soon Sam realizes he’s in a little deeper than he thought, especially when it comes to his emotions about Jonathan. This romance unfolds in the most wonderfully natural way; bits and pieces of Jonathan are slowly revealed and his hard edge is pulled back one layer at a time. As dislikable as he is from the beginning, Jonathan is really the more sensitive character that just wants to be loved. This is all from the single POV of Sam, who is our easygoing if not too laid back narrator. It turns out Sam is as much need of love as is Jonathan. Readers familiar with Hall’s books know that the romance is not the end all be all, but just the conclusion to how two characters really feel about one another. The reader is just lucky enough to experience the love story as it unfolds. I cannot say enough about how much I loved this book and think this would be an excellent introductory Alexis Hall book if you’ve never read one before. I can’t wait to see what else will be happening in the Material World series and always look forward to reading more by this author. I received this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

sam likes his job, but is not his boss’s biggest fan. when his boss, jonathan, fires him, and sam shortly bumps his head afterward, sam decides he can delay being fired if he fakes having amnesia. as sam works to keep this lie up, he realizes jonathan might just have a soft spot after all, and starts falling for him.

i’ve read a lot of books and fanfiction with the amnesia trope, but never one with a fake amnesia trope. this seemed really interesting to me and a chance for some laughs, and it was!

i really liked the growth that was shown both between the characters and individually. overall, this is a great pick for anyone wanting an adult romance book.

audiobook note: i enjoyed the narration and thought it fit well with the characters.

Faking amnesia to hopefully keep your job just as you and your whole team were about to be fired is fool proof right?

Sam Becker didn't exactly dream about managing a bed and bath retail store, yet he's committed to standing up for his team. At least that was his thought process when he tripped and bumped his head whole getting reemed by the owner, a very attractive Jonathan Forest.

This forced proximity, hilarious romance, with a lovable family to boot was the perfect warm up to the holiday season!

I loved the grumpy/sunshine aspect, I loved the side characters, and I loved the humor and honestly the storyline in general. As a gen-fic book, this was great. As a romance, it was a bit lackluster. I never really felt the chemistry between the characters, nor did I feel like they were a good match. I am starting to realize that this author just may not be for me outside of a couple random books, and that's ok! Not every author is a match for every reader.

Thank you very much Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Ever since Boyfriend Material I’m such a fan of Alexis Hall’s books, and this was was such a win again. I loved it from the first minute, laughed out loud, cried a bit, and will recommend this (audio)book everywhere.
It’s the first book in a spin-off series from the Boyfriend Material series called Material World, and it’s about Sam (full name is Samwise, actually), who is a manager at the Sheffield branch of a bed and bath retailer. He doesn’t love his job, but it’s alright, and he likes his team, even though they’re a chaotic bunch. But then the chaos takes overhand a bit too much, Sam is called to London to see the boss aka Jonathan Forest aka His Royal Dickishness, and he threatens budget cuts and layoffs – but when Sam, in a panic, runs into a surprisingly thick and hefty glass shower wall (or not surprisingly, they are in a high quality bed and bath retailer after all) and wakes up with a concussion, things get even more complicated. Because Jonathan misinterprets Sam’s brief moment of confusion with amnesia, and Sam doesn’t exactly correct him. He feels guilty to let Jonathan believe, but perhaps this way he can save his team? The two of them are forced to spend a lot more time together than anyone of them had bargained for, and maybe both of them are hiding from the truth …

Like I said initially, I loved this story so much. Jonathan’s and Sam’s Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic was so much fun, and Alexis Hall expertly manages to add another layer to their grumpiness or sunshine persona, characterizing both heroes much deeper. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I loved that we got to see why Jonathan seemed so cold and rational; and why Sam was hiding behind his cheerfulness. We get to know them both more and more, as they get to know each other, and it’s hard not to root for them. The slow burn romance was incredibly well done, and because these characters are so different, the slower pace was exactly right. The book was incredibly heartfelt as it was funny and I laughed out loud several times.
And that brings me to the absolutely incredible narrator, Will Watt. He gives Sam a Scouse accent (which I’d heard before, but have never been able to place), which is spoken in Liverpool and the surrounding areas. He truly makes Sam come to life and gives him so much personality, and he switched between accents effortlessly. I truly loved listening to his voice and will check out more audiobooks he’s done.

Alexis Hall has done it again with 10 Things That Never Happened. Laugh out loud funny but also very touching love story between grumpy Jonathan and sunny Sam. This book takes place in the same world as the boyfriend material books, but focuses on different characters. It was great to get to see why Jonathan is so stern and to see him remove that hard exterior in front of Sam.

WIll Watt doe an amazing job narrator for the audiobook. Highly recommend this book!

At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about the whole "faking amnesia" thing and I absolutely loved it. Sam and Jonathan are the best kind of grumpy/sunshine where the sunshine also knows how to dole out the sass/sarcasm to keep the grumpy one in check.

Read if you like: watching someone make incredibly bad choices and it somehow work out, good sassy banter between your couple, one of the partners being emotionally unavailable/push people away, and a little bit of a slow burn.

10000 stars for 10 Things That Never Happened!

This book is Alexis Hall at his finest in my opinion. While I adore his historical romance books and more fantasy/fantastical tales there is just something so strong about his contemporary romances. The banter, the characters, the heart of it all.

As someone who adores Boyfriend Material and listens to the fantastic audiobook for it at least twice a year I was so thrilled when NetGalley approved my request for this audiobook. Firstly, Will Watt brought such a wonderfulness to an already wonderful story. From the bright undertones of Sam to the uncertainty and hesitation of Jonathan he truly encapsulated so many feelings for these characters in his tones and inflictions. His accent really brings the whole thing together as well and makes the conversations and humor pop that much more.

This book is laced with the specific type of heart that only Alexis Hall seems to deliver for me. These characters had me laughing out loud one minute and wanting to cry the next. This book truly felt like making friends with the characters and rooting for them along the way to what you will hope will be a HEA.

I honestly took my time over these last two days listening to it in increments because I just didnt want it to end. I would sell my soul for a second story of these two and I really hope Alexis and the publishers make that happen. (Please give Alexis all the money/permission so he can write more Sam and Jonathan!)

I cackled and giggled my way through this until close to the end, where I was punched in the feels and almost brought to tears. No one, but no one, writes a better rom com than Alexis Hall.

Two far-from-perfect men. An even further-from-perfect cat. (I don’t usually like cute cats in romances but this cat was terrible so it was fine.) A large supporting cast of co workers and family, drawn sharply, but with such a light touch. A swoony, slow burn romance, which as always with Hall, has a lot to say about wider issues—class, wealth, poverty, family, and loss. Loved it.

Will Watt’s narration was such a delight. The characters in this book speak in a variety of British accents: Liverpool, Sheffield, RP, East End London—it’s quite a tour de force for a narrator! But what I really loved was the way Watt coloured the emotions in the text. A tremor in his voice in a highly agitated sequence, for example, or warmth and laughter in a fond moment. Beautifully done.

I love how Alexis Hall delivers romcoms that genuinely earn the moniker. 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED is packed full of wacky hijinks, OTT scenarios, and running gags. (My favourite is how the characters always state the full name of every posh bed & bath fixture their company sells, even if someone else just did so.) I snickered my way through it, more than willing to overlook the implausibility because it was just so. much. fun.

It also gives off strong Christmas vibes, offers real feels of both the romantic and familial varieties, and gives its characters room to grow as they navigate their very strange, very amusing scenario. And the audio production works beautifully thanks to narrator Will Watt’s sense of comedic timing and Northern energy. I’m a happy reader (/listener).

The way I loved this book!!! I loved the dynamic between the characters and even the lie didn’t bother me and found it hilarious. I loved their character arc and growth and the cat truly elevated everything to the next level of awesome!

The narrator did an amazing job with this one and I cannot wait to read more Alexis Hall

4.5/5 stars
1/5 spice (fade to black)

Workplace romance with the grumpy boss? Oh yes... this one was a treat.

Tropes:
Boss/Employee
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity
Family dynamics
Holiday shenanigans
Faked amnesia
Single POV

Jonathan really was that boss you love to hate because they are just so logical about everything. But oh my goodness, seeing him thaw out for Sam was swoon worthy. I listened to the audiobook and was laughing on more than one occasion because of their banter. Jonathan really did care in his own grumpy way, and I loved seeing Sam figure out all his quirks and mannerisms. The whole amnesia plot wasn't a huge conflict, and I was glad to see that it didn't create a long, drawn-out 3rd act break up. But you see it coming, and you know that hair brained scheme is going to coming crashing down on Sam eventually. But by that time, the feelings are involved.

Overall, this was a cute rom com with a diverse cast of characters. I could totally see this being turned into a holiday movie. The spice is very low and fades to black after some heavy kissing scenes. I only wish there was a bit more tension leading up to those moments. Otherwise, it was all nicely done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.